A Game of Christmas Scrabble
by Larelles
Summary: Ziva and Tony hang out at Christmas. They play some Scrabble, drink some wine, make a few confessions... TIVA -threeshot-
1. What are you doing here?

**Disclaimer - I do not own NCIS in any way, shape or form. Damn. I don't own the characters either, they're just being played with for awhile. ;D**

**Hey guys this is my first EVER fic so be nice :) Hope you enjoy.**

Tony flicked through TV stations uninterestedly. There was nothing on. It was the Christmas holidays and Director Sheppard had ordered the whole team to have a week off because there had been too many trying cases in a short period of time. He had felt like he was back in collage again on one of those weekend booze-fests. Hard work and little sleep in a short space of time. Then again in collage 'hard work' was considered by how many bottles you could down in 48 hours.

'What's the point of getting cable if nothing good is ever on?' he growled angrily at the TV. His DVD collection was still in boxes as he'd just moved into a new apartment. He didn't have the energy or patience to go searching for them now.

'_Maybe, I'll just rent a movie instead….but no…DAMN IT! I can't! Stupid holidays! Nothing is ever open_' he thought miserably. He had been basically alone for 72 hours straight and his mood was starting to strain. Gibbs had gone to Mexico for the week, McGee was spending Christmas with his sister and Ziva had been unreachable. Who knows what she was doing, probably sharpening her knife collection or something. Ziva wielding knifes. Oh…that's was a scary thought. Ziva dressed as a naughty cop wielding a knife. Yeah this is getting better. NAKED Ziva wielding a knife. Tony felt heat rush to his cheeks.

'_Oh dammit_' he thought '_Dispelling all bad thoughts. She's your partner for god sake! Okay, okay think of something else. Food. Food is good. Favourite food….uhhhh ..cookies! Especially choc chip cookies. Abby's choc chip cookies. That's it, Abby! I'll just go over to Abby's, she's bound to have something good to watch_

He grabbed his coat and was just heading out the door when he ran into someone.

'Ziva!' He exclaimed 'What are you doing here? At my house?'

She looked confused 'Well…I just …I just needed…never mind… I better go'

She turned to leave but Tony grabbed her by the shoulder. 'What's wrong?'

She an unreadable look on her face. 'It's Christmas Tony'

'Yeah..?' he said unsurely.

"No…nothing… Can I just come in?'

'Sure. How about we order some takeout then settle down and play a board game.'

'A board game?' she asked skeptically.

'Yeah well… I have no movies.'

'That I do not believe.'

'Well they're all packed in boxes 'cause you know, I just moved…'

* * *

An hour later they were sitting on Tony's living room floor with Pad Thai and Scrabble set between them.

'Ziva, your choice of words is really starting to worry me.' he said bemusedly.

'What, why?'

'Shot? Exterminate? Knife? Do you see a recurring theme here?' Suddenly an unbidden image of naked Ziva wielding a knife popped up in his head again. '_Dammit DiNozzo!'_ he thought _'Can't you keep your mind out of the gutter for 5 minutes? How the hell does Scrabble turn you on?!'_

'What? Why are you looking at me like that? Tony. Tony!' Ziva's voice sliced through his thoughts.

'Yeah, what?' he said somewhat dazedly.

'What are you staring at DiNozzo?' she said in her sharp office banter voice.

'Uh...um...you spelled 'ninja' wrong?'

She looked down at the board 'Yes...I did...' she quickly changed it then gave Tony a semi-disbelieving look.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes while they just stared at each other.

'SOO Ziva, do you want some wine?' he said loudly, breaking the silence.

'Yeah, sure' she replied again giving him a look.

Tony got up and half sprinted to the kitchen. He leant against the kitchen counter and ran his face through his hands.

'_Damn_'

* * *

**So...what did ya think?? Reviews are greatly accepted ;) **

**More to come. Next chapter is from Ziva's point of view.**


	2. Have some more wine!

**Hey Guys, I said in the previous chapter that I was going to write this chapter from Ziva's POV but I decided that I would keep it as Tony's 'cause its more amusing.**

**So this is basically just some amusing Tiva banter, all will be revealed soon. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or NCIS, they are just my playthings for awhile.**

* * *

Tony came back into the lounge room holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

'The wine is called 'Givat Hachalukim' he said glancing down at Ziva. 'Don't worry it's Kosher'

He put both the glasses on the coffee table, filled them up and handed one to her.

'This is Israeli wine you know' she said quietly.

'Yeah, that's why I bought it… it sort of reminds me of you a bit' _'JESUS DiNozzo! Why the heck did you have to go and say that! She's probably mentally sharpening her knives in preparation to gut you! Ziva wielding a knife...naked...AHHH stop that! Okay quick she's giving you a look, throw in a save line!'_

'It's bold, strong and will kick your ass if you have to much' he finished with a classic 1000 watt DiNozzo grin.

She stared at him for a few moments but then a small smile crept onto her lips. Tony mentally high-fived himself. _'Okay now quickly change the subject, I don't think she entirely bought it'. _

He raised his glass, 'To Scrabble!' She laughed and clinked her glass against his. They both drank deeply. When Ziva put her glass down she had a mischievous look on her face.

'Definatley to Scrabble, the game in which I am certainly going to kick your donkey at!'

_'Ah and that's why I love her. Such an easy target.' _I would definatly not allow that, even if I had a donkey' Tony grinned.

Ziva looked confused 'It was a joke Tony. This one of your American idioms, yes?'

Tony grinned again 'The term is 'Kick your ass', Zee-vah'

She rolled her eyes 'Same difference'.

'I don't see how you're going to _kick my donkey_ at Scrabble if you constantly make mistakes like that'

'Shut up Tony, or I might be inclined to run my knife through you' she said slightly menacingly, but with a grin on her face.

Again the thought of naked Ziva wielding knives popped up in his head and he felt himself blush.

Ziva gave him a hard stare 'You're blushing'

'Uh...it's...is it really hot in here, or is it just me? Cause I'm feeling really quite...balmy'

'Tony, it's the middle of winter'

'Ummm...HERE have some more wine' Tony said loudly.

'You don't need to yell, I'm sitting right here. I thought it would take a lot more wine to get you drunk, but it seems I am mistaken' Ziva said amusedly

'I'm not drunk' Tony said indignantly.

'Okay, then...lets just keep playing'

'Okay'

'Okay'

Again Tony looked up and caught her eye. They both stared at each other again in awkward silence until loud music suddenly erupted from the next apartment. They both jumped and quickly stared down at the board. '_Crap, crap, crap! What just happened! Ziva was looking at you like she... wanted you! Ahhh! But she can't like you? Right? Right?!'_

He watched Ziva put four tiles down on the board and grin triumphantly at him.

'HA! Triple word score Tony! Eat my dirt!'

'You mean eat my dust'

'Whatever'

He wrote down the score then looked at her word. 'Love? That's definitely a change of word choice'

Ziva looked him in the eye and shrugged. Tony looked back at his remaining three tiles. _'Oh you cannot be SERIOUS! The only three letters you have left and they spell...ah well you better play them, it's just a game right?'_

With that final thought Tony put his remaining tiles down on the board, building through Ziva's word.

'Tony...I think I need some more wine'

* * *

**What will Tony's word be? Why did Ziva come to Tony's apartment at Christmas anyway? Who knows, well I do but thats not the point.**

**Sorry this chapter is so short and rushed, I've been busy planning AND it was my birthday today so I didn't have much spare time. **

**Review. Review. Review. They make me happy. :D**


	3. Where are the knives?

**So yeah, this is the final chapter of Tony and Ziva's little escapade.**

**Basically I wrote a large part of this between 11 and 1 am at night listening to completely random songs on my iTunes. I have stuff on my mind at the moment so sorry if its a bit...weird.**

**Enjoy. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, Ziva, Tony or Scrabble for that matter. Gosh darn it! ;P**

* * *

With that final thought Tony put his remaining tiles down on the board, building through Ziva's word.

'Tony...I think I need some more wine'

_'Damn DiNozzo, now she's really freaked out! Well done. You should've just pretended you couldn't make anything.' _Tony reached over and refilled her glass accidentally letting his hand brush against her fingers as he pulled away. They both jumped at the simple touch and avoided each others gaze. _'Quick! Change the subject!'_

'Uh...so...what do _you_ have planned for your remaining three days in isolation?' he said a little too jovially.

Ziva gave him a funny look and shook her head. 'Nothing. I usually do not have much free time so I don't know what to do'

'Ohhh...and that's why you came here' Tony said, instantly regretting it. The look Ziva gave him was a mix between annoyance and something else, something he couldn't quite pick.

'I came here, _Tony_, because...I...I decided that _maybe _I would finally spend a Christmas with someone' she blurted. Ziva looked confused 'And...I couldn't think of anyone else to spend it with'

'Wait, you've never spent Christmas with someone? Ever?'

'No. Since my family is Jewish we never celebrated Christmas when I was a child. We sometimes had a small Hanukkah gathering but otherwise, I have seen no need to have any kind of celebration, it was just another day of the year to me'.

Tony sat shocked by this sudden revelation. _'Wow, maybe this wine is stronger than I thought. But wait! Ziva chose _you _to spend Christmas with. Out of all the people she could've chosen, Jenny, Abby, even McGee! Why me?'_

For the millionth time that night they sat in contemplative silence. Tony once again threw around wildly for a talking subject.

'So Ziva you gonna play that last tile? Cause you know I'm gonna beat you, I'm already 20 ahead of you and there's not much you can do with one tile' he said with mock bravado.

Ziva chewed her lip thoughtfully and looked slightly torn. She glanced at Tony then cautiously put the tile down in front of her last word.

'Ziva, you can't do that. It doesn't make a word...' Tony trailed off as he realised what she had put down and what their collective three words spelt out.

'I Love You...'

'What?' Ziva said sharply.

'No...no I just saying our words spelt out "I Love You" ' Tony said quickly. _'Way to point out the obvious genius...'_

'Oh...okay...HA! TONY I WON!'

'What?' Tony said confused by the sudden change in conversation.

'I won! I won! Ooooh! You know you can't win with me Tony' Ziva said happily.

'You got that right...' Tony mumbled.

'Oh you're such a sore loser'

'Yeah, well... you smell!' Tony said petulantly. Ziva rolled her eyes and proceeded to pack the board up. _'Lousy Ziva. Always beating me, with her super ninja skills...'_

'Okay, so do you want something to eat? That Pad Thai was a rip off! The boxes were only half full.'

'I know...I should go back there and stab the chef' Ziva said in mock seriousness.

'I'd like to see that! You running in there weilding a knife and...' Tony stopped, unsure of himself. The Ziva/Knife fantasy was playing out in his head except this time she had on the full naughty cop outfit; fishnets, hat, skimpy top, minuscule shorts and a knife in each hand.

'And what Tony?' Ziva said with a small smile on her face.

'And...uh...you stab him and go home. I'll go make food now' Tony practically shot into the kitchen from the living room and quickly tied a jumper around his waist._ 'Hope she didn't see it'_

He opened the freezer and took out leftover lasagna and put it in the microwave. He tapped his fingers impatiently on the bench as he waited for it to cook.

Suddenly a voice very close to his ear said 'Hmm...that looks nice'. Tony yelled and jumped around into a karate stance.

Ziva laughed and lightly slapped his cheek then went over to the cupboards and pulled out two plates and two forks.

'Tony, where are your knives? I can't find any in the drawers.'

'Uh...uh...don't worry about that. I've got it covered. You just sit down'..._DING..._'and relax' Tony pulled the lasagna out of the microwave. He turned around to put it on the plates and saw Ziva standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a knife in each hand. He stopped in his tracks and nearly dropped the lasagna on the floor.

'Found them' Ziva said with a smug look on her face. _'AHHHHH! Acutal Ziva is standing in your actual kitchen with actual knives in her hands! Ahhhhh! Too bad she's not naked...Shut up brain your opinon isn't needed! Okay what do I do? Umm...just smile and feed the woman. Then she'll be less inclined to wield knives (or stab you)' _

He flashed his 1000 watt grin and placed the lasagna on the plates.

'Tony, I think there _is_ something wrong with you'

'Uh...why would you say that?'

'Because this is the sixth time you've blushed tonight and you don't get embarrassed easily'

_'Damn! How is it that she picks up on every little thing? Well duh! It's because shes super ninja!'_

'Maybe I'm just turning into a more sensitive individual'

'Every time I'm made a reference to knives this evening you have reacted this way' she said thoughtfully 'You are embarrassed by knives?'

_'How the hell did she figure that out!'_ Tony's head snapped around and stared at her. She had fixed him a with a hard no-nonsense stare.

'I...uh...well...'

'Maybe you like fantasising about knives, yes?'

'Umm...'

'You do fantasise about knives! I didn't know you were into that kind of thing Tony! I mean it's perfectly...normal...I even know a few-'

'No!' Tony interrupted 'I don't fantasise about knives! Well...I do but...'

'But...' she prompted.

'But...' he continued 'I focus more on the person who's holding the knives...' _'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Do not say another word! You're already in too deep! Get out while you still can! _If_ you still can...'_

'Oh! Is it someone I know?'

'Uh...have some lasagna. I made it last night. I don't usually make my own lasagna but-'

'It is someone I know! Who Tony?'

'No-one...' _'And that's the WORST excuse you have ever came up with!'_

'Is it...Abby?'

'No! She's like my sister! If I was fantasising about her it would be like incest!' he exclaimed.

'Who else...Agent Jardine?' she said slightly worriedly.

'No! Her messiness yet absolute cleanliness both confuses and scares me'

'Director Sheppard?' she said incredulously.

'Ziva! Defiantly not! She's 10 years my senior! And Gibbs would kill me.'

'Well who then?! There's no one else!'

'Yes there is...' he said quietly. _'What the hell! Do you want her to guess or something? Get out of this now!!'_

'There is not...' he saw realisation suddenly dawn on her face.

'Me...?' she said tentatively, moving into his personal space.

'Uh...' _'Good work. You're stuck and she's in your space. Only one way out. You have to tell her' _

'Uh...yeah' he looked down then glanced up and caught her gaze. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages until Tony put his hand back on the bench and knocked a fork to the floor. They both glanced away quickly and Tony ducked down and picked up the fork. He placed it on the bench and looked at Ziva again.

_'Damn, Tony! She likes you! And she even spelled it out, plain and clear! In Scrabble! My god man! This has gone on too long! Stop pussyfooting around it. You. Like. Her. Just kiss her man. Okay, just kiss her...'_

'Ziva...' he said quietly. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, leaving his hand resting on her jawbone. She looked slightly surprised.

_'Okay DiNozzo, do it now. NOW!'_

His lips crashed against hers with a little more force than he intended. She first stiffened but then relaxed under his lips. After awhile she reached up and put her hands on his shoulders slightly caressing his neck.

Finally they pulled apart, breathless. Ziva smiled a genuine happy smile at him 'Gibbs is going to kill us Tony'.

'I think it might be worth it' he said kissing her again.

**FIN**

* * *

**Okay sorry for the soppy ending, but I like soppy endings; I'm just a hardened Disney fan :P**

**So what did you think? Is it alright for a first fic? Any constructive criticism or suggestions are welcomed but no flames please.**

**Reviews make me smile which in turn makes me write better. :D**


End file.
